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SCAR Group of Specialists on Subglacial Antarctic Lake Exploration (SALE)
The vast East Antarctic Ice Sheet covers numerous lakes that may have existed for millions of years. These lakes have captured the attention of the scientific community and the public. Major interest lies in the nature of resident biota, the age of the lakes, the tectonic forces reponsible for forming the lakes, and the record of Antarctic climatic history that is likely to be contained in the sediments beneath them. Prominent among these lakes is Lake vostok, a remarkably large lake beneath about 4 km of ice in central East Antarctica. In September 1999, a workshop was held in Cambridge, UK, for the purpose of developing a science plan for the exploration of subglacial lakes with particular reference to Lake vostok. In the course of these deliberations, it was concluded tha the biology of the lakes is intrinsically intertwined with a) the tectonic forces that have given rise to the lakes, b) the glaciological and geophysical processes that control the thermal and geochemical history of the lakes, and c) the climatic evolution of Antarctica. Thus, the most fruitful scientific approach to the exploration of subglacial lakes is an integrated investigation of the lakes and their environs as closely coupled systems.
click here to see a map of the subglacial lakes of Antarctica.
For current information please go to the Standing Scientific Group on Geosciences pages.
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